The CIA Did Not Enjoy Glenn Greenwald's Book On Edward Snowden

According to a ABC News article published Thursday, the CIA took at "No Place to Hide," wherein Greenwald tells the story behind the series of scoops on the US National Surveillance Agency that he published last year. Those stories were largely based on information provided by famed National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden.

The CIA published its review of Greenwald's book, which was released in May, on its website, in a section titled "Intelligence Officer's Bookshelf." It was written by Hayden Peake, the curator of the CIA Historical Intelligence Collection.

"Greenwald's often bitter ad hominem rationale for this is unlikely to be the last word on the subject," Peake wrote.

The review also accused Greenwald of ignoring "other interpretations regarding the legality" of the NSA's surveillance programs.

"Greenwald is appalled at the concept implied in the chapter's title and analyzes it with the presumption of illegality while dismissing without comment the intelligence issues that led to its adoption," wrote Peake. "Greenwald also ignores other interpretations regarding the legality of the NSA's collection programs—for example, the views of retired admiral Michael McConnell, former director of the National Security Agency and national intelligence."

The review, which includes assessments of two other books about Snowden, nevertheless offered some backhanded praise for Greenwald's work.

"'No Place To Hide' is the most complete, though far from the most objective account of the Snowden affair to date," it noted.

Greenwald, who now works at The Intercept, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, but he did express his amusement on Twitter.